Oenotropae

Lore & Background

According to the Bibliotheca, the Oenotropae were the granddaughters of Dionysus, who granted them the power to change water into wine, grass into wheat, and berries into olives. This ensured that no one around them ever had to starve. Other sources, however, state that the daughters were devotees of Dionysus, and the god rewarded them with the ability to produce oil, grain, and wine from the ground or merely by touch.

Reader's Guide

When the Greek fleet set out to make war in Troy, the Oenotropae stocked their ships. Agamemnon was so impressed that he abducted them to feed the Greek army. The daughters escaped, but their brother betrayed them again to the Greeks. As they were about to be bound, Dionysus saved them by turning them into white doves. Their story highlights the theme of divine intervention and the power of Dionysus, as well as the role of mythological figures in supporting epic conflicts like the Trojan War. The Oenotropae's legacy is preserved in references such as the naming citation for asteroid 13862 Elais, named after one of the daughters.

Did You Know?

• The Oenotropae were the three daughters of Anius and Dorippe.
• Their names—Spermo, Oeno, and Elais—correspond to grain, wine, and olive oil respectively.
• When the Greek fleet set out for Troy, the Oenotropae stocked their ships, leading to their abduction by the Greeks (often unspecified) or by Odysseus.